Weddings are the most special of occasions, and weddings and digital photography go together like wine and cheese. Why not market a digital photography service to the happy couple? One route is to contact wedding planners and negotiate a deal. Wedding planners are in a position to recommend a great many services to brides and wedding parties. A good relationship with one of these professionals can be your key to great success. However, professional wedding planners will work only with experienced, well established photographers. They won't risk their reputation by recommending an unknown service could be less than stellar. You will need a wedding portfolio and possibly testimonials from satisfied wedding parties before you can make inroads with a wedding planner. If you are not yet at that point, there are other ways to establish your digital photography service for weddings.
Successful wedding planners only work with proven professional photographers with experience as a wedding planner's reputation is extremely important. They will never recommend an unknown service to their clients. So your first job is to get known. You will have to create an impressive portfolio and a few testimonials from satisfied customers.
If you have neither a portfolio or testimonials, offer to work for testimonials. Weddings are expensive and you may be able to get work by working for free. A strange concept, but it will pay off in the end. Make sure you keep the copyright on your photos so you can use them in your portfolio. And remember most importantly to take great pictures! Your future career depends on it. Your first job will often come through your family or friends. Once you have a portfolio and some testimonials, you can look for work elsewhere. Browse the local papers for wedding announcements to look for clients.
You can contact the bride by phone or mail. Offering to take pictures of the preparation for the wedding is a good way to make an impression as most studio photographers do not offer this service. Sending the bride free promotional material is another way to get business.
Offer to photograph events related to the wedding for example bridal showers, the rehearsal dinner or the gift opening. Another way to generate business is to contact people involved in weddings such as florists and bakeries, and inquire about leaving brochures or negotiating a referral fee.
Being inventive and creative in the way you approach business goes along way in wedding photography. For example try working with a local artist to produce scrapbooks for your customers. You will offer a completely unique work of art to hold your clients happy memories. As a final tip, make sure to please the bride. Make her happy, and your job will be a lot more enjoyable.